CMC advised: nurses dumped

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A SUNSHINE Coast private hospital which retained a psychiatrist on staff for eight years before he was finally deregistered has been accused of harassing staff who complained about him.

The Daily understands that two nurses, one of whom contributed to whistleblower complaints raised in parliament by Nicklin MP Peter Wellington, have been stood down by The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital.

The CMC was advised yesterday by whistleblowers that the hospital had stood down the nurses.

Queensland Health whistleblower Jo Barber said nurses and members of the public were accorded whistleblower protection if the information they disclosed related to vulnerable people.

Sunshine Coast police last week conducted interviews with Coast health professionals in relation to the allegations, which Mr Wellington handed in a brief to the CMC earlier this month.

The allegations are now the subject of review by retired Justice Richard Chesterman, who will ultimately make recommendations to the State Government through the CMC.

Dr Peter Herbert, a visiting medical officer to the hospital, is the spokesman for the Coast group that now includes doctors, nurses and psychiatrists.

He accused the hospital this week of harassing nurses in its ward 3c mental health unit, who he said had battled for years to have it address very real concerns.

Hospital general manager Terence Seymour said he was not aware of any staff member claiming whistleblower status.

"Significantly, TSCPH has been advised that at this time the preliminary assessment functions being undertaken by Justice Chesterman have no direct focus on this hospital,'' Mr Seymour said.

"The recent action taken by TSCPH in relation to staff suspensions was in response to allegations of behaviour at work, which if substantiated would breach our Code of Conduct and our values."

Dr Herbert said it was unlikely the two nurses stood down would ever work in the hospital again.

He said other staff were being questioned about their association with the two nurses and were in fear for their own jobs.

Dr Zoran Radovic worked under special licence at the hospital from 2003 until December last year, during which time he repeatedly failed to pass the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' exemption candidate examinations.